One of Britain's biggest department stores has pledged to stop using
airbrushed models in its product shots - and told rivals they have a "moral
obligation" to follow suit.

Debenhams is rolling out a new lingerie campaign and has vowed that none of the images have been "digitally retouched".

The chain is acting after an increasing number of studies which claim girls' self-esteem is being crushed by the wave of airbrushed snaps of supermodels and celebrities.

Research by the Schools Health Education Unit last summer found that 58 per cent of female pupils aged between 14 to 15 wanted to lose weight, and a quarter were skipping breakfast to avoid piling on the pounds.

Debenhams said its designers would no longer use techniques such as arm slimming, thinning legs, whitening the eyes and teeth or "enhancing" the cleavage.

Sharon Webb, Debenhams head of lingerie buying and design, said: "We want to help customers feel confident about their figures without bombarding them with unattainable body images."

She acknowledged: "As well as being a positive from a moral point of view, it ticks the economic boxes as well. Millions of pounds a year are spent by organisations retouching perfectly good images."

Debenhams' has previously banned airbrushing from swimwear ads but a spokesman said the new policy was "across the board". The chain was also one of first to introduce real life, curvier mannequins in its stores.

Its move comes just weeks after a spat between Beyonce and clothes chain H&M. Sources claimed the singer was furious to discover H&M had photoshopped images of her for its swimwear campaign. Originals showing off her curves were then used around the world.

The chief executive of H&M admitted the company had a "huge responsibility" to portray a healthy body image to customers. Karl-John Persson said: "I don't think we've always been good. Some of the models we've had have been too skinny."

Marks & Spencer last year ditched its celebrities such as Myleene Klass and Twiggy from a TV campaign for the first time in seven years, opting to use "ordinary" models in its ads.

Caryn Franklin, co-founder of All Waks Beyond the Catwalk, last night said: "Fashion and beauty imagery that is honest, is absolutely crucial for all women to see. Retailers have the power to take a stance on digital manipulation, so, I'm delighted that Debenhams has taken a lead here and customer feedback will no doubt validate this important step."